Beyond the Scars
by definitecomet
Summary: My world seemed to be crashing down around me. No one ever seemed to care, not even me. But he came and brightened my world and gave me a reason to smile.
1. Chapter 1 New Beginnings

**Author's Note: Hey guys! Just a few things before reading this story. There are a some content that some readers may find disturbing dealing with things such as alcohol abuse, physical abuse, some triggers, the death of a loved one and depression. Please read at your own risk. Feedback and reviews are always welcome :) I hope you all enjoy the story. This story from Lucy's Point of View.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters mentioned in this story.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 _As a child, Lucy had a pretty happy childhood. She was loved by her parents and had a group of good friends she hung out with. Everything crashing down when her mother fell ill with an immunodeficiency disorder that left her to be constantly bedridden. In the following months, Lucy rarely left her bedside while her father went back and forth with the doctors trying to find a cure. When nothing worked, the doctors had to break the bad news that Lucy's mother, Layla, only had a little bit of time left. That time was spent wisely with Lucy and her father staying by her bedside remembering all the memories the three had together as a family._

 _"Mommy, please don't leave us. We need you here with us," 10 year-old Lucy said clasping her mom's hand gently._

 _Layla turned her head to the side holding Lucy's hand weakly, "Lucy, there is a time when you have to leave this world," She said with a sad smile. "It just happens to be my time to go."_

 _"But we need you here with us! Our lives won't be anything without you in it." Lucy cried with tears streaming down her face._

 _Lucy turned to her father who was on the opposite side of the bed, with his head against her mother's shoulder. He was crying as well. She had never seen so many tears come down her father's face before. He was always a man of serious demeanor who rarely showed any emotion. Jude Heartfilia had a business-like appearance that never really seemed to fade, even in his personal life; however, Lucy just saw a different side of her father that never surfaced._

 _"Just know that I love you both with my entire being. You two are my treasure and it was a blessing to be able to spend the happiest years of my life with you." Layla said as she started to tear up. "I love you guys so much; I wish I didn't have to leave you so soon."_

 _At that, both Lucy and her father curled up carefully next to Layla and the three cried. Layla began to fade and the last words were "I love you."_

 _After the funeral, things were never the same. It seemed Lucy and her father had a broken relationship once Layla was gone. Jude buried himself in work and began drinking heavily to numb the pain of his wife being gone. Lucy had to take the brunt of her father's angry outbursts that often got violent._

 _She hated what alcohol did to her father. Lucy knew that her father still loved her, but the alcohol had such a strong grip on him that he couldn't stop. In order to cope with the loss of her mother and the brutal beatings she received from her father, she began to cut herself in an attempt to escape._

 _Over the years, things had become worse as Jude was rarely home. He spent most of his spare time in the bars while Lucy remained alone. When he wasn't there, he was taking out his frustration on his daughter. He placed all the blame on her. Why his business fell apart... Why his wife died...Why he had a drinking problem...Why the family had no money...Everything was her fault._

 _Lucy didn't understand why her father treated her this way. Where her loving father left and brought the monster she called dad. He brought her down with his words and sealed them with each hit. Everything seemed to spiral downward into a hopeless depression that Lucy could never recover from._

 _Even then, she still hope that the happiness she knew as a child would return to her one day._

* * *

I woke up to the sound of my blaring alarm clock. Today was my first day at my new school. I just hope it was better than my last.

Walking to my closet, I pick out an outfit that would cover my scars. In my mirror, I look at my body. It is covered in bruises and scars that seem to cover every inch of my body.

Why would anyone ever love me? Look at me. I'm covered in ugly scars…

I shake the thoughts away and head quietly downstairs. Dad is passed out on the couch from last night's drinking binge.

I tip-toe to the front door and head on my way to the school bus. Sighing in relief, I wait nervously by the bus stop. My mind is racing with thoughts on what this new school will be like.

Will the people like me here? Can I make friends this time around? Will I be accepted for who I am?

My thoughts were interrupted by the voice of a girl.

"Hi," She said again with a smile on her face. "My name is Levy McGarden. What's yours?"

I was taken back by her abnormally cheerful attitude. I wasn't used to seeing someone with such a cheerful demeanor, especially one that was aimed towards me. Usually I was ignored or oddly stared at, but this girl looked at me directly in the eye and gave me an honest smile.

"M..my name is Lucy. Lucy Heartfilia." I respond with a small smile.

"Nice to meet you Lucy! I've never seen you around here before; you must be new," Levy said with a beaming smile.

"Y..yeah, this is my first day," I reply looking at her wide grin.

With that, the bus came strolling down the street and Levy invited me to sit next to her.

On our way to school, I find out that we have the same interests. She likes reading to which I had plenty of time to do since I was left alone quite a bit. She listed authors that I reread most of their books. When she said my favorite novel, I nearly jumped out of my seat.

"You...You like that book?" I said with wide eyes. "I've never met anyone else who liked that story. I was told it was a waste of time to read."

"Are you kidding me?" She giggled. "Of course I like this book. It's a classic!"

She and I talked until the bus pulled up to the high school. Seeing the building, the nervousness returned.

Levy being there made it easier. I felt like I made a friend. She took me by the arm and pulled me to a group of people.

"Lucy, these are my friends," Levy turned to me with a smile. "Everyone, this is Lucy."

"Hi, I'm Wendy," A petite young girl with blue hair pulled back in two pigtails waved shyly.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Gray."

I stared blankly at him. He had no shirt on and was working on taking his shorts off.

"Gray, put some clothes on!" the voice growled. Cowering in fear, he puts his clothes back on and pulls up a chair. The voice turns to me and puts out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Erza," the redhead said with a smile. Her demeanor changed just like that!

Not wanting to push her wrath, I quickly shake her hand and look to a very intimidating looking figure. He had red eyes that sent shivers down my spine and looked like he ate scrap metal for breakfast. His long black hair waved near his thighs.

"I'm Gajeel," he said roughly.

"I'm Juvia," said a blue-haired girl holding Gray's arms. "Gray is mine! No one can have him! From this day forth, you are my love rival!"

"No no no, he is all yours," I waved nervously.

Finally, I look to the weirdest one of all. He looked pretty normal all except the top of his head was full of messy pink hair. Yes pink hair. He had a scarf around the neck that had dragon scales. He gave me a wide grin and held out his hand.

"Hi, I'm Natsu. Nice to meet 'cha!"

His smile was so infectious that I couldn't help but smile back. His hand was warm when I went to shake it. It was weird because I didn't want to let go.

"Alright, now that you met everyone, let's go to homeroom!" Levy cheered.

* * *

Every went to their usual seats while I looked around trying to find an empty one to claim.

"Hey," called a familiar voice. "You can sit next to me if ya wanna!" It was Natsu pointing to a seat open next to him. I smile at him and take the desk next to him.

"So where'd ya come from? I've never seen you around school before."

"I'm from Crocus. I just moved to start my junior year here."

"Really?! That's awesome! You probably haven't seen all the places Magnolia has to offer, have you?"

"No not yet."

"Can I show you around town? I can show you all the coolest places to shop, all the funnest arcades, and best of all the most delicious restaurants to eat at!"

"You would really like to hang out with me?" I blurted out before I could take it back.

"Sure! Why not? You seem like a really nice person." He gave me a toothy grin. "Do you wanna do it tomorrow afternoon?"

Tomorrow afternoon?! I can't believe that I'm going to be hanging out with someone! Especially a guy after all. Maybe I can be happy here after all…

"Sure, why not!" I replied perhaps to excitedly.

"Haha, alright! Meet me in front of the building tomorrow after school!"

* * *

The rest of the day went by so fast: I wished I could just slow things down to enjoy the little moments I hadn't experienced in a long time. The feeling of having friends to laugh with and treasure was on that I longed to feel.

That night I was thankful that my father wasn't home. He went out earlier in the afternoon before I came home from school and hasn't come back. My thoughts were still racing from everything that happened today. My mind wasn't filled with thoughts of depression, but were overwhelmed with the excitement of hanging out with Natsu tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2 Day Out

**Author's Note: I just wanted to say wow... I'm glad you guys like the story so far. If you have any ideas to where this story should go, I'm open to them.**

 **This chapter has a brief scene of abuse. Not much but just a warning. Hope you enjoy chapter 2!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail or the characters!**

The after school bell rang signalling the time has come for me to see the town with Natsu. My heartbeat was beating a mile a minute in my chest.

 _Why was I so nervous? He was just showing me around town; it's not like we're going on a date...Plus there's no way he would want to go on a date with someone like me._

All negative thoughts vanished when I saw Natsu coming towards me with a beaming smile.

"All ready to go?"

"Yup, ready when you are."

"Alright," Natsu grinned. "Let's see how you are with arcade games."

With that, he grabbed me by the wrist and sprinted to the nearest arcade. We arrived with me on all fours while Natsu looked unfazed by the ten blocks we just ran. Plus he was wearing sandals!

"How...How can you...run...so...fast?" I question between pants.

"I don't know," he said while holding out his hand. "I just like to run I guess."

I grabbed his hand and we walked into the arcade. The gameroom had everything from claw machines to race cars.

"Wow, I've never seen so many games."

"Really?" Natsu raised a brow. "Haven't you ever been to an arcade before?"

"No, this is my first time," I look at him with honest eyes. "I was never really allowed to hang out at places like this."

"Why not?" he looked at me curiously.

"My father never allowed it."

Silence fell between us. The atmosphere grew awkward being in a very relaxed place.

 _I wonder if I said something wrong…_

"Alright then, it's settled," he said looking down at me. "We are gonna try every game in this arcade!"

"Really?" I looked up at him confused. "You don't have to."

"You're right," He grinned. "But it's already decided."

He held his hand out to me and lead me to the racing games first.

"Just so you know," he started with a grin on his face. "I am a master at this game. Prepare to lose!"

I just giggled. Something I hadn't done in a long time. "You're on!"

I had no idea how to play this game. When Natsu finished in first place and me in last I puffed out my cheeks.

"Rematch!"

"Ha ha, you're on!"

This time, I won by the skin of my teeth and left Natsu in second place not far behind.

"I won!"

"Beginner's luck," Natsu playfully huffed. "Don't worry though, your luck won't last you for very long when I steam you at all the other games."

"Keep dreaming," I laughed. "You are going down"

We played every single game the arcade had to offer as Natsu had promised. To both our dismay, we ended up tying in who beat the other at the games. When we walked out of the arcade, the sky was beginning to grow dark.

"Hey, are you hungry," Natsu asked while looked down at me.

"A little"

"Alright! Let's go eat!"

We stopped by a restaurant called Fairy Tail. The building towered over the entire city. It was enormous. It's structure resembled that of an ancient castle. I couldn't believe how beautiful this place was.

"Wow…" I stared in awe.

"Yeah," he agreed. "This place is like my second home. Let's go inside."

The inside was just as gorgeous, if not more. The floor was made of classic wood lined with red carpet all leading to the bar. Benches and tables covered the room. To the right was the stairs leading to the second floor. The place was filled with people shouting and having a good time. Most people would've been bothered by the rowdiness that went on, but I found some strange comfort in it.

"Hey Mira!" Natsu waved to the white haired female behind the bar. "Got anything good to eat?"

"Welcome back, Natsu!" she smiled sweetly. "Just whipped up some spicy curry."

"Awesome!" Natsu said with a wide grin. "Mira, this is my friend, Luigi."

"My name's Lucy!" I shot him a glare.

"It is? My bad," Natsu apologized while scratching the back of his head. "Luigi sounds so much better than Lucy in my opinion."

"I does not!" I puffed out my cheeks once more. He poked one of them with his finger letting the air come out.

"I see," the bartender giggled. "Nice to meet you, Lucy. My name is Mirajane, but you can call me Mira."

"Nice to meet you, Mira."

"Are you hungry?" she asked. "I can whip something up for you."

"Sure, Thank you." I give her a smile.

Looking at her, she was absolutely beautiful. I found myself being a little envious of her. She seemed like a sweet person.

"Mira's cooking is the bomb," Natsu said as he lead me to one of the bench tables. "I pretty much eat here everyday."

"Do you spend a lot of time here?"

"Pretty much," Natsu said putting his elbows on the table. "I like spending time here. Erza, Wendy, Levy, Gajeel, Gray, and Juvia all come here practically every day too."

"That's pretty special."

"Yeah, like I said before, this place is my second home; my family." Natsu said looking around. "I can't live without them."

"What about your parents? Do you see them at all?"

"No... I never knew my parents. I was adopted by a man named Igneel. He gave me this scarf." he said holding the edge of his scarf up so I could see. "He left one day without saying a word when I was young. I haven't heard from him since."

"I'm so sorry, Natsu," I said looking down at the table. "It must be pretty hard for you."

"Yeah, I miss him everyday," Natsu said with a small smile. "But I want to find him again someday. He taught me so much and was such a great guy. There has to be a reason why he left. I want to find that reason for myself."

I looked back at him. He had such a great relationship with his father. Even though they are perhaps a million miles away from each other, Natsu still looks forward to the day where he could meet his father again. To me, this was amazing. My relationship with my dad was broken and seemingly, nonexistent, but there was a time where our bond was strong. Where did we go wrong?

"Hey guys," Mira called behind us carrying a tray full of food. "Here's your meal. Hope you both enjoy."

"Aw yeah! I'm starving!" Natsu didn't waste a minute as he dug into his food. I just watch him in amazement as he gulped down plate after plate. Food was flying everywhere. I couldn't help but smile.

"Whapfh? Wanna bitpgh?" Natsu asked offering a spoonful of food.

"No thanks, I have my own." I giggled at his filled cheeks.

"What's so funny?" Natsu asked gulping down his mouth full of food.

"Pfft...Nothing, you just looked cute there for a moment."

My eyes widened.

 _Did I just say he was cute?_

I saw Natsu stop eating his food and his face turn a shade darker than his hair.

"I'm sorry!" I attempted to apologize while my face was turning the same color.

Natsu laughed. "It's okay," Natsu laughed. "It caught me by surprise is all. No one's ever said that to me before." He nervously scratched the back of his head.

"Really? I thought a lot of people would find you to be cute," I blurted out before I could take it back. My eyes widened a second time.

Natsu chuckled at my embarrassed look. I puffed out my cheeks at his reaction.

"It's not that funny."

"Yeah it is," he poked one of my cheeks. "I think it's kinda cute."

At that, both of our faces turned even darker.

"Uh…" was all that Natsu could muster.

It was my turn to chuckle at his embarrassed look.

"But anyway…" Natsu said attempting to change the subject. "How about we head out? It's getting late."

Natsu walked me home since it the sun had already set.

"I had a good time. We should do this again. There are still a bunch of places I haven't showed you yet." Natsu said looking down at me as we walked.

"Yeah, we should."

"How about this Saturday? I could take you to the park in the center of town, or take you to the shops."

"Yeah, I would like that." I replied with a small smile.

"Alright. Meet be by the front gates of the school Saturday morning at 10." Natsu said waving goodbye. "See you then."

I continued down my street and spotted a car in the driveway. My heart stopped. My father was home and all I hoped was that he was passed out on the couch as I usually saw my father.

I carefully opened the front door and closed it quietly. He had left the TV on and the screen flashed the movie I assumed he put on before crashing. I sigh in relief and walk up to the stairs.

"Hey, Lucy," the voice behind me said sending me chills down my spine. "Where have you been this whole time?"

A dark figure stood above me. It belonged to my father. I felt like a deer in headlights, trembling in fear. The mood today had put me in drifted away.

"I won't ask you again, Lucy!" my father yelled loudly. "Where have you been?"

"I...I was hanging out with a guy from school…"

"You were with a GUY?" his voice boomed making tears flow from my eyes.

"He just showed me around Magnolia an-"

"I don't care!" he interrupted. "You know that I don't like you hanging out with anyone, especially a guy. I don't want you to see him. You come straight home from school!"

"But, dad.."

"No Lucy!" he slammed his bottle against the wall, shattering it into shards. "You will listen to me! I will make sure you do."

His face turned twisted. It made my stomach turn when I saw him like that; it meant that he was going to get violent. The only thing I could do is brace myself from his brutal force.

This has been going on for so long that I couldn't even recognize the pain until later. When he was done, he just grabbed a bottle of wine and continued to binge. I carried myself to my room.

I tried to tend to my wounds. This time he must have been frustrated, seeing that he left so many bruises on my abdomen. The new one just began to take form. I couldn't understand why my father did this to me. Why? Was my mistake being born? Or thinking that I could be happy making friends when I clearly didn't deserve it? My thoughts began to spiral downward. Today's memories just vanished.

Even though I had these physical wounds, what hurt the most was the thought of never being able to see Natsu again. He had given me a happiness that I hadn't felt in a long time. Levy and the others… I won't be able to see them again…

I cried at the thought. It didn't matter if it was just one day; I wanted all those feelings to come back. I fell asleep remembering all of the memories I made today with one frequently popping back up: Natsu's bright smile.

 **A/N: Whew… I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I hated the ending but the stuff between Natsu and Lucy were just….sooo cute! Next chapter will be coming out in the next couple of days. Reviews are always welcome! Til' next time!**


	3. Chapter 3 Pain

**Author's Note: I'm glad you guys are enjoying the story so far. Here's chapter 3.**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail!**

I woke up with my head throbbing. It hurt just to sit up. I glanced over at the clock and my eyes widened when I realized that school started in half an hour! Sprinting from my bed, I quickly got dressed, ignoring the pain in my head and abdomen.

Not even bothering to check to see if my father was still there, I grabbed my bag and ran out the door. I sprinted down the street, avoiding every object and person in sight. I probably could've outran Natsu at that point.

The front gates of the school were still open. Good, that meant the bell hasn't rung yet. I reached the entrance to the building with sweat covering my forehead and heavy breaths.

The sharp pain in my stomach only seemed to hurt worse. I ignored the pain as I heaved my body up the front stairs and walked into the school.

"Hey Lucy," Levy waved from behind. "We're over here."

She had on a big smile as she motioned me to where her and the others were.

"Wake up a little late huh, Lucy?" She giggled.

"Uh...well something like that," I said with a small smile. I felt bad lying to Levy. The reason why I could get out of bed because it hurt too much to get up. I don't want them to know.

"Come on!" Juvia said still holding tightly onto Gray. "We have to get to class."

"Will you let go of me?!" Gray said while trying to get away from her.

"But Gray must stay with Juvia forever!" Juvia said while running down the hallway after Gray. He comes back with only his boxers on; me and Wendy both shielded our eyes in embarrassment.

"Gray!" Erza's booming voice shouted. "Put on some clothes!"

Instead of stopping, he continued to run on down the hall of classrooms only for Erza to bolt after him. I couldn't help but smile at the sight of Gray being chased by a love-struck Juvia and an angry Erza. Natsu was rolling on the floor while the others just stared and chuckled.

"You can run faster than that, Popsicle Princess!" Natsu said between laughs.

"Shut up, Flame Brain!" Gray shouted.

"Not a chance, Stripper! You wanna piece of me?" Natsu challenged with a wide grin appearing on his face.

"You're on!" Gray said with a grin mirroring Natsu's.

"Are they always like this?" I ask the rest of the group.

"Pretty much," Levy said. "These guys have rivalries for no reason."

"Yeah," Gajeel snickered. "Those two idiots fight over air."

"What'd you say?!" Both Gray and Natsu shouted in unison.

"You heard me, morons," Gajeel smiled. "Want me to say it again?"

"Gajeel! Don't even think about it!" Levy said although it seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

"I've been wanting to settle the score," Gajeel said, his smile getting wider.

Before Gajeel could land a punch, Erza smacked all three in the back of the head.

"Are you three done, yet? Class is about to start." Erza glared at the three. "Or do I have to drag you there?"

"No, no! We will go now!" Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray all hugged each other in fear.

I couldn't help but laugh. How could they be so childish?

The rest of us walked into the classroom and prepared for class to begin. I sat in my usual seat beside Natsu while Levy was in front. Gray was behind me with Juvia behind Natsu, much to Gray's dismay. Gajeel sat beside Levy and in front of both of them sat Wendy and Erza.

As the teacher began teaching, I could see Gajeel's head hit the table as Levy poked his cheek with a pencil. He didn't even budge. He was out cold.

As class went on, I felt myself dozing off. What woke me up was the sharp pain in my stomach. I silently winced in pain as tears started rolling down my face.

"Hey," Natsu whispered softly. "Are you alright?"

"Y..yeah..I'm okay," I gave him a forced smile.

"I don't believe you. You are in tears." Natsu said, clearly seeing through my facade. "We need to head to the nurse."

"I don't ne-" Natsu interrupted my weak plea with a raised hand.

"Sensei, Lucy needs to go to the nurse. Can I take her?"

The teacher nodded her approval and Natsu escorted me to the nurse's office.

The nurse was an elderly woman with red eyes and pink hair tied back in a loose bun. She looked intimidating. Her brows were slammed together like she was annoyed by us coming in.

"Ms. Porlyusica," Natsu started, not fazed by the old woman's hard glare. "My friend Lucy here is in pain. Can you see what's wrong?"

Without saying a word, she motioned me to sit on the bed beside her desk.

"Where's your pain at?" She said gruffly.

"My stomach."

She lightly touch my stomach without lifting my top. I winced in pain. Even the slightest touch feels like someone was stabbing me.

Ms. Porlyusica slowly lifted my shirt to reveal a large black and blue bruise on my left side. My eyes widened to how big the injury really was. Last night it was half that size; now it reached from the bottom of my bra to the top of my jeans. It had to be at least 7 inches wide.

Natsu looked with concern in his eyes. "What happened to you? How did you get that bruise and those…" he trailed off.

I followed his line of vision and it pointed to the scars from the cuts. Even though it has been a few weeks since the last time, the wounds were still healing and were noticeable. I paled and tears once again fell down my face.

I was ashamed of how my body looked. All the scars that covered my body were because I couldn't handle my own pain. It was my escape. Natsu saw my scars and I never wanted him to see that part of me. Would he find me disgusting? Or call me names? Will he never talk to me again?

"Natsu," Ms. Porlyusica said. "Can you please go back to class now? I will take care of Lucy from here."

Reluctantly, Natsu nodded and left us alone in the nurse's office.

"Where did you get these scars? Are they self-inflicted?"

I flinched at her question and she looked at me seriously. Her eyes softened a bit as she waited for my response.

"Yeah...They are…" I said ashamed of my body.

"And this injury on your left side," She pointed out. "Was this done by your own hand?"

"No...Someone else did this," I replied. As much as it hurt to tell someone this stuff, the truth felt good coming out; it felt like a ton of bricks was lifted off of my shoulders.

"I see…" she said inspecting the bruise more closely. "It looks like this someone hit you with a heavy object on this side. You are very lucky. If this person hit you anymore, the skin could have broke open and the injury be more fatal. Who did this to you?"

It took me a couple of minutes to give her my answer. It was hard for me to reveal my home life to a complete stranger. She was intimidating and looked like she was always annoyed. Why would I want to share my pain with her? But she looked at me like she was saying, 'Everything will be okay.'

"My father…" I finally answered.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Your father did this to you?"

I nodded slowly.

"I don't know much about about you, Lucy," she started. "But you need to get away from your father. He could have easily killed you with one more blow."

"I know, but he's my father. If I run away, he will track me down and show me what near death feels like. But, if I turn him in, he will be arrested and put him in prison…"

Even though he showed no regard for me, I don't want him to be locked away forever. He's my dad. But this person he is now. This monster is not the dad I know.

"I hate to do this, but I will let you decide what you should do. But if you come back in my office with so much as a scratch from your father, I will call the police.

"Alright," I said softly.

I spent the rest of the day in her office. She treated my side with ice to hopefully bring down the swelling. She told me to elevate my stomach with pillows at night to help in the healing process. She also disinfected my cuts and put bandages on them. Walking out of her office, I felt like a stiff robot with all the bandages she placed on my body.

It was already 3:30 by the time I walked out of the building. I saw Natsu leaning his beak against one of the gate doors. He looked up when he saw me and walked to where I was. He didn't have his usual smile on his face. He had a serious demeanor, one that made me a little bit afraid.

"Hey," he started. "Can we talk?"

 **A/N: Ha ha! Cliffhanger! LOL but I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you guys think of it so far! I'll update the story sometime tomorrow. Thanks for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4 His Resolve

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry the chapter is a little late. I had a hard time trying to figure out what the best way to go about this chapter was and a suggestion from yazbk2988** **really helped me in shaping this chapter, so thank you! This chapter is divided into 2 parts. Hope you guys enjoy and feedback is always welcome!**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail**

"Hey, can we talk?"

I started to get nervous. Did he want to talk about what he saw earlier?

"Listen," he started. "About the marks on your stomach...Where did they come from?" He tip-toed on the question, as if to make sure he wasn't crossing any lines.

I didn't bother to answer. I just looked at the ground, hiding my face behind my bangs. I didn't want him to break that wall I built.

"It's...it's nothing major...just some old scars…" I attempted to say without looking into his gaze.

"Lucy," he grabbed my chin gently and brought me to his eye level. He looked at my eyes intensely, looking for any kind of response that that may have to offer. "Where did you get those scars? Who hurt you?"

I couldn't look away from his eyes. His stare never wavered; he was waiting for my answer. His face expressed such concern I had never seen before. Why would he care what happened to me? I have only known him for a couple of days, yet he treated me like he's known me for years. Slowly, he was chipping away at my walls I tried so hard to keep up.

"No one hurt me," I said with a shaky voice. "Those are my doing."

"What?" Natsu looked at me in disbelief. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"I...I don't know…"

He didn't move, or say anything. He just continued to stare into my eyes. I waited anxiously for an answer from him.

Natsu did something unexpected. He took his hand from under my chin and wrapped it around the back of my head. He pulled me closer to him so that my face was buried in his chest. His other free arm wrapped around my back gently, wary of my left side. The end of his scarf tickled my nose slightly and I felt an overwhelming warmth surround me as he tightened his hold.

"N..Natsu…"I asked nervously. "W...What a..are you doing?"

"Are you okay?" He said softly.

"Wha….?"

"Are you okay?" He asked again. "And don't try to lie to me. What happened?"

"Why do you care so much?" I asked him in a muffled voice. I felt tears prickle my eyes for what seemed like the millionth time today. "You barely know me…"

"That doesn't matter to me. You are my friend. And to me, friends are my family." Natsu stated firmly. "Any pain you receive, even by your own hand, hurts me too."

What he said made me cry even more. He actually cared about me? Not even I cared about myself and here was someone who I barely knew saying that I mattered to him. Is this what it's like to have friends?

" _I don't care!" he interrupted. "You know that I don't like you hanging out with anyone, especially a guy. I don't want you to see him."_

How could I possibly forget about Natsu and the others? They mean so much to me.

"It's okay if you don't what to tell me why," Natsu said pulling away. "But promise me you won't hurt yourself ever again."

The look in his eyes still remained constant. He wanted to make sure I wouldn't hurt myself again. It numbed my pain; an escape from my reality that I couldn't change. I realized that when I hurt myself, I was also hurting those who cared about me. The thought never occurred to me because I never had someone care about me. Natsu is the first one in a long time.

"You know," Natsu said with a smile forming on his face. "I'm not the only one who feels this way. The others will tell you the same thing."

Levy and the others feel the same… There was no way that this was real. It was too good to be true. How could they care about someone like me? I'm just a disappointment to everyone, so why would they see me as something that mattered? Even though there was no logical answer in my mind to make sense of this, I wanted to be a part of it. I want to remain friends with everyone, despite my father's harsh threats. But those hopeful thoughts were disrupted by a pained realization.

 _What if my dad tries to hurt one of my friends?_

I can't live with that. They mean the world to me and I can't risk them getting hurt on my account. I don't know what to do…

"Come on, Lucy!" Natsu said with a smile on his face. "Let's go to Fairy Tail!"

As much as I wanted to go and see him with everyone, I couldn't shake the feeling of my dad possibly hurting one of them.

"Natsu…" I started. "I really can-"

Before I could finish my sentence, Natsu grabbed me by the wrist and began sprinting towards the direction of the restaurant.

"Come on, Let's go!"

The way he smiled back at me without a care in the world made me forget about everything I was worried about. Him and I ran through the streets of Magnolia; the sun began to settle in the west still shining on Fairy Tail rooftop.

I was once again on all fours, attempting to catch my breath. I will never be able to get used to how fast he runs…

"Hey everybody! Look who I brought!" Natsu shouted.

I look up and I saw Levy, and the others were waiting by the bar. There were laughing and carrying on random conversations with each other. They looked up once they heard Natsu shout and gave up the widest grins I never thought was humanly possible.

"Well, come on!" He said grabbing my hand and leading me to a bar stool.

"Welcome back, Lucy." Mira greeted with her usual smile.

Fairy Tail's atmosphere was somehow different than the last time I was here. With everybody here, I felt like I was that little kid again. Before my mother died, before I lost my father to the grasps of alcohol. This overwhelming feeling of happiness was enough to make my eyes tear up for the upteenth time today.

"Wha...What's wrong, Lucy?" Natsu said with his usual grin quickly morphed into a look of worry. "Whaddaya cryin' for?"

"I...It's… nothing…" I hiccuped. "I just love you guys."

He didn't say a word; he just gave a soft smile.

"Hey, Lu! Are you feeling any better?" Levy asked.

"Yeah, I'm doing alright."

"Well that's good." Gray chimed in while taking off his shirt.

"Gray!" Erza's voice shouted. "Put on some clothes will you!"

Natsu chuckled. "You need to learn to keep your clothes on you perv."

"What did you say?!"

"You heard me, Pervy Popsicle! Or should I show you what I mean?"

"Bring it on, Pinky!"

"Here they go again…" Levy said with a sigh. "They never stop. But, are you really doing okay, Lucy? You seemed to be out of it today."

"Yeah, I'm doing better now that I'm here."

"What was wrong?" she asked looking concerned. "You kinda just left in the middle of class with Natsu, then disappeared for the rest of the day."

"He just took me to the nurse; my side was bothering me a bit."

"Can I take a look?" she questioned with concern still plastered on her face. "I've read books on medicine and healing; maybe I can help. Wendy here is studying to be a doctor, so she can maybe help too.

Wendy, who was on the right side of Levy, gave a shy nod in agreement.

"Sure." I said hesitantly. I slowly lifted up the hem of my shirt, revealing the massive injury on my left side.

"Oh my...Lucy! What happened to you?!" Levy shrieked softly. Wendy's eyes widened at the bruise. She got off of her stool and took a closer look.

Wendy rubbed a light finger on the area and it made me wince a little. The soreness had gone slightly thanks to the medicine the nurse gave me earlier, but it was still tender. The hem of my shirt was only half way up my abdomen, showing only half of the whole injury. Wendy lightly lifted the rest of my shirt to see the bruise in its fullness.

I heard Levy gasp and I looked where her eyes were. She saw the scars that decorated my skin.

"Lucy...How did you…" She trailed off as it seemed she was trying to find the right words. "...get those marks?"

I was hoping they wouldn't see my scars… How do I justify these to them? I was afraid of what Levy might say if she knew these marks were my own doing. Wendy looked just as shocked; she has yet to say a word. Will they stop being my friends because of them?

" _You know," Natsu said with a smile forming on his face. "I'm not the only one who feels this way. The others will tell you the same thing."_

That's right. Natsu didn't stop being friends with me when he found out, so why would they be any different. After a few moments, I decided to tell Wendy and Levy the truth.

"These are mine...I did them…" I said feeling a sense of relief wash over me. Even though it was so shameful and brought so many bad memories, I felt a little bit better sharing it with someone.

"Oh...Lucy...Why…?" Levy said with tears beginning to well up in her eyes. Her happy demeanor faded just as quickly as it usually appeared. I never thought she could make such a face.

"I don't know...why; I can't give you, or even myself a solid reason why I would do this to myself."

"Please don't do it to yourself anymore," Wendy said looking up at me. She stopped looking at the bruise to look me in the eye. She made the same face as Levy. "Promise us."

"Alright, I won't do it again."

"Good," Levy said. Wendy nodded in agreement. "Now, what about your bruise?"

"Well, I got this….from…" I stopped in the middle of my sentence and couldn't find the motivation to tell them that it was because of my father.

Levy sighed. "Well, you don't have to tell us, but you need to go get this looked at. The deep discoloration of your skin shows that there might be some underlying damage. If you let it go, then it could get worse."

"You may be right, but I'm okay, really." I said trying to convince them.

"Oh really?" Levy said raising a brow. She lifted a finger and lightly dragged it on the bruise; I winced, scrunching my face in pain. "To me, it seems you need to go to the hospital."

There was no way I would be able to convince her and Wendy that I was okay. The more I look at the bruise, the more I myself was convinced that it be a good idea to get it checked out.

"Alright," I breathed out. "Let's go."

The three of us stood up from the bar and walked towards the restaurant's grand double doors. The rowdy atmosphere never ceased; even from the outside, I could still hear the effects of the all-out brawl.

By the time we got to the hospital, the sun was already beginning to grow orange. It took us about 30 minutes to reach the building from the restaurant. It was located in the center of Magnolia and was surrounded with main street attractions.

Levy was the one who drove with me poking fun at her by questioning how she can reach the pedal when she is so small. In return, I got the death glare and puffed cheeks as a response.

We walked through the glass doors of the building, we followed the signs to Urgent Care. After waiting for fifteen minutes, we went into an examination room and waited for the doctor to arrive.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I was at the hospital," Wendy said while looking at the posters in the room. "Probably a good thing."

"Really?" Levy said, looking up from her magazine. "Don't you go for physical exams every year?"

"Nope, I haven't really changed all that much. My weight and height have been the same for years."

"Yeah, I know that feeling…"

The door opened and a nurse came in with a laptop in hand.

"Alright, Miss...Heartfilia?" the nurse said looking at all three of us.

"Right here," I said raising my hand.

"Alright, what seems to be the trouble?"

"I have this bruise on my left side that is cause me discomfort. We just came to get it checked out."

"Okay, would you mind lifting up your shirt for me?"

"Sure." I nodded, lifting my shirt to reveal my injury.

"Oh my…" the nurse said with wide eyes. "It seems you have more than just a bruise."

 **A/N: Hey, guys! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll update soon! Let me know what you guys thought of the chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5 Complications

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is late. For this chapter, I had to do a little bit of research, so I hope everything flows well. Please leave a review and enjoy the chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail!**

"What do you mean I have more that just a bruise?" I looked at the nurse with wide eyes.

"Well, a bruise this big must be because of an internal injury." She explained.

"If that's the case, then what is wrong with me?"

"We won't know until we take you in for an x-ray, but let's check a couple of things before we head to the room."

The nurse began to lightly touch over my injury. She barely put pressure on it but it felt like she was punching my side. The sharp pain got worse the more pressure she applied. The nurse slowly retracted her hand and asked me to breathe in deeply. I did as I was told, and took a heavy breath in. I was in a new world of pain. It felt as if my bones were rubbing together.

"Okay, I think I have a good idea of what you have, but let's go over to the x-ray room to make sure."

She led Levy, Wendy, and I to the room and she had me lie down on the table mat. A lead apron was draped over my body to protect it from the radiation. The nurse captured the affected area in the film, showing my injury's true form.

"Just as I suspected; You have three broken ribs on your left side."

"Broken ribs?!" I asked in shock.

"Yes, you have fractured ribs that seemed to be caused by excessive blunt force trauma to the area," The nurse explained. "Not only that, but it looks like the object used to cause such an injury caused some bruising to the surrounding organs."

My eyes widened even further. I can't believe that my body was in this bad of a condition.

"To be honest," She started. "I am surprised that you are able to walk around as much as you are. Most people your age wouldn't even be able to sit properly let alone walk around."

"So what does this mean for Lucy?" Levy asked raising a brow.

"Well we probably will have her stay overnight until we know for sure what's going on." The nurse turned to me. "We just want to make sure you are okay before we send you home."

I nodded in response. She then escorted me to the room I would be staying the night in with Levy and Wendy trailing behind. The nurse made me change out of my clothes and get into a gown provided by the hospital. I didn't realize how much it hurt just to raise my arms up above my head. It seems every movement I made was another stab to my lungs.

Once I was done, the nurse left the room, leaving Wendy, Levy, and I alone in the room.

"How did this happen to you?" Levy finally spoke after a few moments of silence. "You seemed alright yesterday."

"Did this happen to you last night?" Wendy asked.

I froze in the bed. Even though the memories of last night were a blur, I did not want to remember. This is the worst my father has ever done to me. I don't even want to think about him right now.

The nurse came back in before Levy or Wendy could say another word. With her was another doctor following behind.

"Alright, Miss Heartfilia. You seem to have a few fractured ribs. From the look of the x-ray, you have three fractured ribs in two different places on your left side," the doctor explained.

"And this could be a problem because you could develop a condition known as flail chest." The nurse said appearing beside the doctor.

"Flail chest?" I asked nervously.

"Yes," The doctor continued. "It's a condition that basically makes it hard for you to breathe."

My eyes begin to widen.

"It prevents your ribs from expanding," The nurse explained. "The problem is is that it can cause your broken ribs to push inward onto your organs."

I couldn't say a word. I looked over at Wendy and Levy; they were both speechless as well.

"So what does this mean for Lucy?" Levy finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Well, we do not know for sure until we do an ultrasound," The nurse said turning to face me. "We will check for any possible injuries to the organs in your abdominal cavity."

"What will happen to me if I do have this condition?" I asked.

"If you do, then we will have to first treat your pain before we can actually allow the ribs to heal." The doctor began. "It takes about 6 weeks for a fractured rib to properly heal, but the recovery process all depends on if there's any damage to your organs. The process then will take longer."

The nurse spoke up. "We might also have to perform surgery on you in order to fix the broken ribs."

"We don't know for sure, but let's go ahead a perform an ultrasound," he said, beckoning me to follow him.

They took me into a room that was equipped for the ultrasound. This was my first time ever getting this done and I was nervous to find out what the damage really was. I had a hard time breathing and every time I took a breath, a sharp pain would engulf my body.

They put the gel on my abdomen, careful to not push down too hard, and the screen painted an image.

"It looks like you do indeed have the condition." the nurse said looking at me. "If you can see it, your lung is being pushed inward by your fractured ribs."

"How do we fix this?" I asked in shock.

"You will have to have surgery to replace the broken ribs that have detached from your rib cage," The doctor said. "From there, it's all about learning how to function again, but this needs taken care of first."

They took us back to the room and told us to remain there.

"What happened to you, Lucy?" Levy approached me taking a seat on the bed. "Tell us the truth."

She looked at me with such serious eyes. Her stare was unwavering; she didn't look away for a moment. With a gaze like that, I couldn't help but feel obligated to tell her. She deserved to know, even if I didn't want to let anybody know.

"My father did this to me," I told her looking her straight in the eye.

It was as if I struck something because it was minutes before I got any response. Both Wendy and Levy looked at each other and then back at me. Her serious gaze turned into one that I couldn't describe into words.

"Your own father did this to you?!" She finally said.

"Why would he do such a thing?" Wendy spoke up.

"I don't know. He just hates me for some reason. He's one this to me for years, so I'm used to it by now."

"Why didn't you tell us," Levy said, scooting closer to me.

"Because, it's painful to talk about," I said, my gaze unable to tear away from hers. "And I didn't think you would care."

"Are you kidding me? We care so much about you, Lucy!" Levy said loudly-Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "You mean so much to us."

"But we only just met. How could you possibly care so much about me if you don't know who I am?" I replied back with tears rolling down my face.

"We don't need to know where you come from; we got to see the Lucy that really matters. You don't have to tell us everything about you in order to be counted as friends," She said softly.

I should've known better. Everybody here is different; they don't judge me based on my background, but on who I really am. I've never met such caring people.

We were interrupted by the opening door. In came Natsu, Gray, Erza, and Gajeel.

"We heard you guys went to the hospital to get Lucy checked out. Is everything alright?" Gray asked leaning against the wall.

"No, Lucy is in pretty bad shape." Levy spoke up. "She needs to have surgery done."

"What? You need surgery?" Natsu said with wide eyes. "Why?"

"I have broken ribs and the doctor said that I need them replaced in order for me to heal properly. I'll be here for a little while."

"How did you get broken ribs? Do your parents know about it?" Erza asked curiously.

"Yeah, he knows about it alright." I said with a little hint of frustration in my voice. "He's the one who put me in this hospital bed."

"He did what?!" Natsu's voice began to raise. "He should be taken to jail for this! It's child abuse!"

"You're right," I said nodding in agreement. "But he will never say that he did it. He will put the blame on me like he always does."

A familiar feeling began to surface. I hated this feeling; it made me wish I couldn't feel at all, but with all my friends here, I refuse to let this emotion control me any longer.

"But I want to deal with my dad after I get out. I don't want to think about him while I'm here."


	6. Chapter 6: Feelings Deepen (Part 1)

**Hey guys, This chapter will be extremely short, but there are multiple parts. I'm so sorry I haven't updated. I put this on hold, so I could focus on school. I will give you guy the next part soon. Hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own Fairy Tail!**

* * *

That night was my first in a hospital since my mother died. It brought back unpleasant memories that I hoped to never remember.

"You should get some sleep, Lucy," Erza said, sitting in one of the chairs beside the bed. "We'll be back to check on you after school tomorrow."

I began to feel the effects of the medication the nurses had given me. Before I knew it, my eyes began to grow heavy. I don't remember saying goodbye to everyone, but when I woke up I felt something heavy holding onto my arm.

When I opened my eyes, I looked at an unmissable mess of pink hair.

Natsu?

I looked around and the room was empty. The clock on the wall said 3 in the morning. It still hurt to move my left side, but I managed to sit up in my bed, waking Natsu out of a dead sleep.

"What are you doing here?" I yawned.

"I just fell asleep." He said stretching his arms out. "Everyone said goodbye and then I decided to stay for a few minutes before heading out. Guess I zonked out before I knew it."

Looking at him now, I noticed his hair had shifted to one side on his head. I couldn't help but laugh; he looked like he screwed up a mohawk.

"Whaddaya laughing at?" He raised a brow.

"Your hair."

"Oh yeah?" He said looking up at mine. "Well your hair is just as weird! It's yellow!"

"It's not yellow! It's blonde! And you've got no room to talk there Pinky!"

"Pinky, huh? I've heard that one before," He said rolling his eyes.

"Don't you have school tomorrow?" I asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, but you seemed like you needed company, so I stayed," He said with a shrug.

At that, I just remained silent. Even though I wanted to be alone, on the other hand, I was somewhat lonely. I was glad he was there with me.

"And plus," He started, breaking the quiet. "School really wouldn't be the same without you in it with us."

I gave him a small smile. "Thanks Natsu. You really helped me tonight. I'm glad to have you guys in my life."

"We are glad to be here," Natsu said with a toothy grin. "And happy to have you here with us."

With that signature smirk shining back at me, I couldn't help but be happy. For the rest of the night, we talked and laughed. The more I heard him talk, the more I didn't want the sun to rise. I wanted to remain like this with him. I wondered if he felt the same way too.

The night rolled past in the blink of an eye and the morning came. The clock showed 7 a.m., and we both glanced at each other noticing that we looked exhausted.

"Ugh… I don't wanna go to school!" Natsu said, plummeting his face into my covers.

"I know...I don't really want you to go either," I said honestly.

Natsu jerked his head back up at me. "You don't?"

"Not really, I like having someone around to talk to."

"Well in that case, I'll spend the day with you," Natsu said. "I'll just text the Perv to send me the notes."

"Are you sure?" I said hesitantly. "I don't want you to miss school for me."

"Heck yeah I'm sure! The teacher's lesson is probably gonna boring anyway," He smirked with a reassuring nod. "Plus there's a few places I never got to show you before."

"Like what?"

"You'll see," He smiled.

I couldn't contain my smile. Another fun day with Natsu sounded like a fun change. I guess I was so excited that for a moment, I had forgotten that I was in the hospital with broken ribs…

"But my ribs…" I said with my smile slightly fading. "Do you really want to spend the day with me when I have an injury?"

"So what?" He said with his head shifting to the side a bit. "There's still plenty of fun things to do, even in a wheelchair. Just wait until you see what I have planned."

With that, Natsu helped me out of the bed and put me into on of the hospital's wheelchairs and rolled me outside.

I had no idea where he was taking me, but I didn't care. I was having fun with a person who had become my best friend.

Once we were out on the streets, we passed by a multitude of different stores and restaurants. The overwhelming smell of food reminded me how hungry I was. I heard Natsu's growl behind me.

"I think your stomach's trying to tell you something." I giggled. "Breakfast?"

"You bet," Natsu said looking down at me. "Take your pick 'cause I eat anything and everything."

"How about….Fairy Tail?"

He looked down at me and smiled. "You read my mind."

* * *

We wheeled up to the front entrance to the familiar building. It gave me a feeling of home. It was strange because it had been years since I had a sense of security. Even though I've been here only once before, there was this comforting aura surrounding the building.

The place was as rowdy as before and I saw people I had never met before. There was a girl who looked to be about my age sitting on the bar with a large keg between her legs. She wore a bikini top paired with jean capris and heels. Her brown hair landed towards her midback.

"Can't these idiots find another place to hang," The brunette said as she lifted the entire keg to her lips. "I can't drink in peace in a place like this."

Other unfamiliar faces made themselves known as I looked around the hall. Each person looked so different, but what I noticed was that everyone had a smile on their face. I really could get used to a place like this.

Instead of sitting at the bar this time, we sat at one of the tables in the middle of the room.

"Hey," Natsu started. "Whatcha wanna eat? This place has really good food."

"I think I'll just get some soup," I looked through the rest of the menu. "Is the chicken and dumpling any good?"

"Yeah, it's really good," He said folding his menu. "Are you sure that's all you want?"

"Well...How about the burgers?"

"Now you're talking! Eat all you want-It's my treat!" Natsu said with a wide grin.


	7. Chapter 7 Feelings Deepen (Part 2)

**This chapter is much shorter than my other chapters but there will be a part 3. Hope you all enjoy the chapter and let me know what you guys think!**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail!**

"What'll it be guys?" Mira said with a sweet smile. "I'm guessing your usual, Natsu?"

"With extra sauce," Natsu nodded.

"And you Lucy?"

"I think I'll get this, this, and this."

"Okay, I'll get that right in for you guys," Mira smiled once more and took away our menus.

"So what do you have planned today, Natsu? Arcade?" I asked.

"I told you it's a surprise, so you'll have to see when we get there."

"Fair enough. What did you get to eat?"

"I got a spicy chicken sandwich topped with extra hot sauce, a basket of extreme fire wings and an order cajun fries." Natsu said while trying not to make his mouth water.

I just looked back at him with amazement. No human alive should be able handle that amount of spicy food.

"You sure like your spices"

"You bet! I can't get enough of the stuff," He said with a wide grin. "Puts a fire in my belly."

"I wouldn't have a digestive system after eating all of that." I giggled at the thought of eating Natsu's portion. I could never do it.

Mira came back with our food and I had never seen someone's eyes grow as big as Natsu's at the sight of food.

In no time flat, Natsu gulped down his food. I haven't even finished my first dish. I smiled as I watched him eat. He seemed to not have a care in the world. There was no place I would rather be.

After we got done eating we did some browsing the nearby shops. Before I knew it, the sun had gone down.

"There's one place I wanted to take you to." Natsu said peering down at me. "But I had to wait until it was dark to show you."

He pushed me to the top of a hill. There was a wooden platform that was bordered by a metal railing. The view was breathtaking. I had never seen such a sight. The moon was bright enough to shed light on the scenery below giving it a majestic aura to it.

"That's not what I wanted to show you." Natsu said following my line of vision.

He pointed up at the sky and my eyes widened.

"This is the best spot in all of Magnolia. I looked at the sky for the first time when I was young with my father. Natsu said as he moved to my side. "He told me to always look towards the future. When he left, I always found myself looking at the stars hoping my dad would come back."

I turned to him. His face was still shifted toward the sky; he didn't move and looked like he was on the verge of tears.

"You know, the stars hold a special place for me too." I turned and faced the sky. "My mom and I used to go stargazing. She would point out the constellations and tell their stories to me. Her favorite was always Capricorn and she did this until she was bedridden. Even then, she continued to tell those stories to me."

It was my turn to be on the verge of tears. Talking about my mother never failed to bring the aching pain back into my heart.

It was moments before either of us spoke again. I was too engrossed in looking up at the sky to notice Natsu put his hand over mine. I turned to him and the look in his eye was intense. I wanted to look away, but couldn't rip my eyes away from his enticing gaze.

The aching in my heart started to fade and an unfamiliar one took its place. I never felt this way about anyone and it began to take over.

His hand tightened on mine and came down to eye level.

"This is our place then. Please don't come with anyone else."

"I won't...I promise."

He gave me his signature grin and stood back up.

"I guess I should take you back then, huh?" He said awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"Yeah, I probably should go back."

Even though no part of me wanted to leave, we headed back to the hospital. Natsu helped me back into my bed and then looked back at me.

"Can I stay another night with you?"

"Won't you be uncomfortable?"

"Nah, I'll be okay. I'd be more worried about how you're doing."

"I...I mean if you want to. I wouldn't mind your company."

"Okay!" Natsu pulled up a chair next to my bed. "Time to go to sleep!"

I looked back at him as sleep was beginning to come over me. I don't ever want to forget these feelings and only hope that Natsu could feel the same too.


End file.
